Get ready, stargazers! A powerful solar storm is on its way, promising to light up the skies with spectacular auroras across the United States. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this solar storm could disrupt power grids and impact communications, so it’s crucial to be prepared. Discover the potential impact and how to catch the mesmerizing display of nature’s light show.
Coming Geomagnetic Storm
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is warning of a strong geomagnetic storm that is heading for Earth in the next few days. Based on such a storm’s anticipated intensity, they forecasters at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) expect that the resulting G4-class storm—just one step below the highest ranking on their geomagnetic storm scale.
This storm has been due to strong solar flare, peaked within the sunspot AR 3848 during Tuesday night (Oct. That flare kicked off a coronal mass ejection — or a massive eruption of solar particles and magnetic fields that’s now barreling toward us at breakneck speeds upwards of 2.9 million miles per hour. Solar experts said the CME could reach Earth’s magnetic field on Thursday, which would probably result in a moderate-to-strong geomagnetic storm.
Sun storms and the aurora turbo-charged
Such an intense geomagnetic storm can disturb many earth systems. One of the most eagerly awaited effects are amplified auroras, also called northern and southern lights.
And while that storm has died down, if it strengthens and continues through the evening, SWPC forecasters estimate it could reach levels allowing those in central eastern states, along the lower Midwest (Missouri & Illinois) and clear skies from Northern California even a shot at seeing auroras further south than usual for an event of this magnitude. That could expand the viewing area to more stargazers across the Plains and Upper Midwest, who may catch a view of the spectacular display.
But the effects of the storm aren’t confined to the atmos. Additionally, severe geomagnetic storms can interfere with radio communications & power lines and in some cases even destroy satellites orbiting above the atmosphere. The agency is warning to expect power outages and interruptions to the electric grid.
Monitoring the Hurricane and Being Informed
The key is to keep the public informed and primed for action as the solar storm approaches. The SWPC is now closely monitoring the events and encouraging people to watch for further information on their website as well following them on social media.
The orientation of the magnetic field in the CME is one of the most important factors to keep an eye on. If the magnetic field is in the opposite direction of Earth’s, it causes a more intense geomagnetic response meaning that auroras can be visible at lower latitudes. They advised people to sign up for SWPC alerts to be kept informed of development of the storm and thoughts on potential impacts.
Although the specifics of this storm are yet to be worked out one thing is for sure it’s a brilliant time for aurora chasers and space geeks EOF. Given the right conditions, the event could be quite the spectacle — but it also underscores just how powerful our home star is and why we should be ready if it starts to misbehave.
